(4/16/14 UPDATE: Full house for the training – no more room. Seal Sitters says thanks for the support!)

(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
It’s volunteer work with a view. If you’ve been thinking about helping Seal Sitters, you can sign up for the group’s next new-volunteer-training session, two weeks from today – 10 am-noon Saturday, April 26th at Alki Bathhouse, with a short on-the-beach session afterward if weather permits. The announcement from Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey:

On Saturday morning, April 26th, Seal Sitters will be holding a special training for those wanting to protect marine mammals along the shoreline of West Seattle and the Duwamish River. Unlike most marine-mammal-stranding networks, we encourage children to participate in Seal Sitters – supervised at all times, of course, by a parent or guardian. We are so proud of our amazing and dedicated volunteers who are on duty rain or shine – we hope you will join us!

A multi-media presentation will illustrate our educational work in the community and the unique challenges of protecting seals and other marine mammals in an urban environment. Included in the training is an overview of NOAA’s Western Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network and biology and behavior of seals and other pinnipeds (due to time frame, supplementary sessions will include more marine mammals of Puget Sound).